Photo of Schuylkill River Trail by R. Kennedy for GPTMC (VISIT PHILADELPHIA®)
It was way back in 1682 when William Penn, set on making Philadelphia a “greene country towne,” created five public squares scattered throughout his new city. Not only would the squares be lovely swaths of land for the residents of Philadelphia to enjoy, his thinking went, but the open space would help prevent the massive fires and quickly spreading diseases that his native London had seen.
Today, not only do Penn’s squares still exist as beloved public spaces (Rittenhouse, Franklin and Washington Squares, plus Logan Square, which is now Logan Circle, and “Centre” Square, which is now the site of City Hall and Dilworth Plaza), but they also serve as a reminder that from the very beginning, parks and green spaces helped define this city. They are, and always have been, part of Philly’s DNA. And as a historic Philadelphia hotel ourselves, Guild House Hotel is always happy to point our guests and fans toward the best, most storied parts of our city. Especially when they’re as wonderful as Philly’s public spaces.
If you haven’t spent time in Penn’s original squares, you should absolutely do that: Each is beautiful, and each has its own vibe and different attributes. To wit: Elegant Washington Square, just a few blocks from our Guild House boutique hotel, in Center City Philadelphia, features the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution; fun, lively Franklin Square has mini-golf and a carousel; ritzy Rittenhouse Square is surrounded by some of the city’s best restaurants; and bustling Logan Circle is home to the Swann Memorial Fountain, a summertime favorite for fountain “swimmers.”
But beyond these gems, you can find and explore dozens of other parks and green spaces all across the city. Here, a Guild House boutique hotel overview of a dozen can’t-miss favorites—the fantastic Philadelphia parks and other beautiful public spaces where you can get your “greene country towne” fix without ever leaving the city.
This is this big one, literally: 2,000-acre Fairmount Park is massive (bigger than Central Park!), as well as accessible and wildly diverse in its offerings. You can tour historic homes; walk the famed Boathouse Row along Kelly Drive; run the same “Boxers’ Trail” that Joe Frazier used to run training for fights; visit the stunning, serene Japanese tea house and garden, Shofuso (and feed the koi in the its pond!); wander the graceful grounds of the Horticultural Center; zipline your way through the woods at Treetop Quest Philly; catch a show at The Mann or The Dell; go birding at the Discovery Center; and much more. There’s also frisbee golf, tennis and basketball courts, pools, tons of playgrounds, dozens of pavilions, and an endless amount of wide open space to enjoy. Ps. The Fairmount Park Conservancy has a GREAT guide to this park and many other Philadelphia city parks. It’s well worth spending time on the site.
Photo of Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park by C. Smyth for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
A Few Great Neighborhood Parks
Scattered throughout the city are a series of more than 60 great Philadelphia parks, all of which are part of the sprawling city park system. (There are too many to name here, but rest assured, there are loads of great Philly parks for picnics, parks for running, parks for parties, parks with basketball courts, parks with playgrounds, and on and on. Check them all out here!) Here, a few of the most notable:
- Pennypack Park in the Northeast, which is known for its size—it’s just huge, at 1,600 acres—and for its lush, wooded beauty. Also, the park boasts miles and miles of trails, both paved and unpaved, for biking, hiking, running, walking and horses.
- Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown, offers majestic views of the Ben Franklin bridge, plus a popular playground, loads of green space along the Delaware River, and a small museum dedicated to the Lenape tribe, which was the area’s original inhabitants.
- Clark Park in West Philly, beloved for its vibrant weekend farmers’ markets, Shakespeare in the park, kid-packed playgrounds, and a giant bowl-shaped lawn that serves as a natural amphitheater and great sledding hill.
- FDR Park, a wild and beautiful oasis in South Philly, is home to lakes, trails, ballfields, the FDR Skatepark, the American-Swedish Historical Museum … and it’s also playing host this summer to the famed Philadelphia Flower Show for the second year in a row.
The Riverfronts
Walking, jogging, biking or just hanging out along the city’s rivers on either the Schuylkill River Trail (on the west side) or the newly revamped Delaware River Trail (on the east) offers the best of both worlds: all of the great views and people-watching a city like Philly offers, but with the peace and beauty of nature along the riverbanks. And if you’re not contented just to look at the water, fine: Try kayaking, or canoeing, or boarding a riverboat for a tour. Thanks to the Schuylkill Banks and the many piers and parks and greens along the Delaware, you can hop off the trail and catch a bite, or an outdoor movie, or simply lounge by the river to your heart’s content.
Photo of Race Street Pier on the Delaware River by R. Kennedy for GPTMC (VISIT PHILADELPHIA®)
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
You truly won’t believe you’re in Philly when you hang out at this South Philly wildlife refuge, which was created to conserve the state’s largest freshwater tidal marsh. Visitors enjoy birding and wildlife watching, fishing, hiking, boating and archery, as well as just the chance to see a different natural environment than you’ll find anywhere else in the area. The refuge offers great events and programming, too.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Another lush, glorious Philly park that feels a million miles away from the city, the Wissahickon boasts some 50 miles of trails. It’s best known for Forbidden Drive, a wide, flat five-mile road/trail that runs along the Wissahickon Creek through a dense forest of trees. Throughout the park, you can also find fishing, birding, horseback trails, and countless paths up and down the gorge and its hills. As the Friends of Wissahickon website puts it, this stunningly peaceful park remains one of the most wild spots left in Philadelphia … and one of the most popular, with more than 1 million visitors a year.
Photo of Wissahickon Valley Park by Jason Smith, VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
Of course, the zoo isn’t technically a park … though it is actually part of Fairmount Park, and wandering it’s winding, wooded grounds makes for a lovely way to unwind and disconnect from the rest of the city. (And what could put you closer to nature than hanging out with a bunch of chimpanzees, meerkats and flamingos?) Fun fact: The oldest zoo in the nation, our Philly Zoo was founded in 1874, which makes it just slightly older than the New Century Guild, the club for which our own historic Philadelphia hotel is named.
There is no space anywhere else in the world that offers what Independence Mall offers: pretty, manicured, open green space that sits cheek-to-jowl with some of the most important landmarks in American history. (The Liberty Bell, for instance, as well as Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center, the Weitzman National Museum for American Jewish History, and more). It’s a picnic spot unlike any other in the city, and just behind Independence Hall is another small, beautiful courtyard in Independence Square. Both the mall and square are worth the visit and just a short walk from Guild House boutique hotel, which is in the heart of historic Philadelphia.
Photo of Independence Mall and Hall by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
The Public Gardens of Philly (and Beyond)
Some of the most wonderful outdoor spaces in and around Philadelphia aren’t parks, per se, but gardens … though you can essentially treat many of them as parks, as they’re perfect for strolling, picnicking, lawn-sitting, and, in some cases, hosting events. Check out our guide to 10 beautiful public gardens and arboretums within the city (or within a short drive) for a helpful little snapshot of other beautiful places to enjoy some time in nature not so far from our historic Philly hotel.
